Michael Ware

Journalist

LDT: "...what they claim is the untold story..."


Click photo to play
Length: 2:14

LOU DOBBS: The surge in U.S. troops may be having an impact on the violence in certain parts of Baghdad. In some areas, sectarian violence is demonstrably down.

Michael Ware has the report from Baghdad -- Michael.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lou, with two of the five additional combat brigades that President Bush has ordered to Iraq as part of the surge for the Baghdad security plan, there is already signs of a dampening or lowering in the levels of particular types of violence in the capital. Specifically, we're talking about sectarian murders by death squads. Though the death squads are still out there, nonetheless, a Republican congressional delegation led by presidential candidate Senator John McCain came to Baghdad to tell what they claim is the untold story of the success.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I believe that we have a new strategy that is making progress. And it's not to say that things are well everywhere in Iraq, far from it. We have a long way to go.

And I'm not saying that mission is accomplished or last throes or a few dead-enders. But what we don't read about every day and what is new since the surge began is a lot of the good news.

WARE: Well, a lot of that good news has been rolling out in the media for Senator McCain and the other congressmen to tell their story from a marketplace in a part of Baghdad where they say security has improved since the surge. The congressmen had to be flown the few short kilometers from the Green Zone to that marketplace in Black Hawk helicopters, accompanied by Apache attack helicopters with more than 100 troops on the ground also providing security.

Meanwhile, in the border town of Tal Afar, which was much praised by President Bush in a U.S.-led operation to reclaim the town from al Qaeda, a devastating suicide bombing that killed more than 100 people this week was quickly responded to when local police went on a killing rampage against a rival sect that saw the police execute as many as 70 people -- Lou.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOBBS: Michael, thank you.

Michael Ware.